(Newser)
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The enigmatic "Woman in Black" on a six-state journey that attracted fierce interest on Twitter and Facebook unceremoniously ended her odyssey yesterday in Winchester, Va., reports NBC Washington. For weeks, the woman, wearing a black robe and veil, has been spotted trudging along highways and through small towns in at least six Midwestern and Southern states, building a cult following on social media as people tried to figure out who she is and the reason behind her long hike.

Her identity may not be as mysterious as the reason for her pilgrimage. Raymond Poles tells Reuters that the woman is his sister, Elizabeth Poles, and that she's a 56-year-old mom and military veteran who has been receiving medical treatment since the death of her husband and father in recent years. She has refused to speak to anyone, according to the BBC, and has turned down snacks, water, and money from well-wishers along her route, notes ABC News. ABC also says she's under the protection of local police and that she's "on a mission that has something to do with faith and religion” and has indicated to them she's going to stick around in Winchester. "I wish people would mind their own business," she reportedly told the police captain.

The story mentions she has lost her husband and father to death. Maybe she's grieving for the losses. Grief can be so different for anyone who has gone through a death of a loved one. Don't judge this woman. You haven't walked in her shoes.

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Aug 1, 2014 5:47 AM CDT

If she wants to be left alone; if she wants people to mind their own business, perhaps she ought not to have made a public spectacle of herself.